Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley is an important character in A Christmas Carol. He acts as a harbinger to Ebenezer Scrooge and a striking warning of the inevitable price that a life of evil can have on a man's very soul. History In life, Jacob was the business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge and both men became successful bankers, stockholders and directors of at least one major association: however, much of their wealth came from unfair taxing of the poor and vulnerable. Jacob Marley had died seven years prior to the beginning of the story and was so disliked by his fellow men that his sole mourner was said to be Scrooge himself and even Scrooge was more concerned with business that day. However come one fateful Christmas Eve the ghost of Jacob Marley returns to haunt Scrooge and warn him of the horrors that await him in the afterlife due to his wicked ways. Jacob Marley's own punishment is depicted vividly as having to carry the chains of his own sin for all eternity while being tormented forevermore in an afterlife heavily implied to be either Purgatory or Hell. Part of Marley's torment included seeing the poor and destitute that he took advantage of in life, suffer, but being powerless to help them in anyway. At first Scrooge refuses to believe Marley is real but this simply causes Jacob to emit a terrible howl that puts Scrooge on his knees, begging forgiveness - however, Jacob simply tells him that he will be visited by three ghosts before the night is done. Then, the tormented spirit of Jacob Marley flies out of the window, accompanied by several other spirits, all chained in eternal torment as they vanish back into the abyss. In the end, however, Marley's warning came true that same night and Scrooge was visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Future, who showed him his past, his present and what could possibly be his future if he refused to redeem himself. The next day, on Christmas, a totally changed Ebenezer brings joy and happiness to the poor and from that moment on resolves to not commit the same mistakes Marley did by using his fortune to help others and live the rest of his life truly happy. Other Versions Due to his importance in the story Jacob Marley has appeared in almost every single adaptation of the story to date, with varying levels of faithfulness to the original tale. *In the Disney version he was portrayed by Goofy and was said to be a ruthless criminal who robbed widows, among other misdeeds - this criminal side of Jacob Marley was never explored in the original tale but would not be seen as outwith his character as he was a greedy and ruthless individual. *In the Muppet's Christmas Carol the character was divided into two in the form of Marley and Marley so that he could be portrayed by the famous duo of Statler and Waldorf. *In the 2000 modernized movie, he was potrayed as a murdered African American man, he was portrayed by Ray Fearon. Notes * Whilst remorseful for his actions in life, the original novel operated off the victorian idea of Hell in which once someone dies in their sins they are sentenced to eternal damnation, with Marley himself referring to his punishment as never-ending; thus most versions of Jacob Marley should do not go under the redeemed category. Gallery Carol-disneyscreencaps_com-10.jpg|The Remains of Jacob Marley Carol-disneyscreencaps_com-3083.jpg|Jacob Marley's ghost visits Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. File:Jacobmarley.jpg|Marley in the 1984 film Goofy as Marley.jpg|Goofy as Marley File:Sylvester-the-cat-bah-humduck-a-looney-tunes-christmas-3.01.jpg|Sylvester as Marley Marleyandmarley.jpg|Statler and Waldorf as Jacob and Robert Marley Youngmarley.jpg|Young Marley Brothers before death Navigation Category:Noncorporeal Category:Harbingers Category:Book Villains Category:Movie Villains Category:Greedy Category:Live Action Villains Category:Wealthy Category:Friend of a Hero Category:Deceased Category:Scapegoat Category:Theatrical Villains Category:Cartoon Villains Category:Stock Characters Category:Undead Category:Fantasy Villains Category:Aristocrats Category:Damned Souls Category:Evil from the Past Category:Corrupt Officials Category:Egotist Category:Power Hungry Category:Social Darwinists Category:Elitist Category:Businessmen Category:Symbolic Category:Male Category:Elderly Category:Abusers Category:Starvers Category:Misanthropes Category:Psychopath Category:Sadists Category:Imprisoned Category:Successful Category:Criminals Category:Gangsters Category:Thief Category:Extravagant Category:Extortionists Category:Con Artists Category:Affably Evil Category:Outcast Category:Paranormal Category:Non-Action Category:Tragic Category:Necessary Evil Category:Flashback Villains Category:Embezzlers Category:Type Dependent on Version Category:Remorseful Category:Muppet Villains